Hower Impact, a boutique sustainability communication and reporting consultancy, announced today that its founder, Mike Hower, has released his new book, Sustainability Storytelling: Communicate Trust, Brand Value and Better Business. Published by the award-winning publisher Kogan Page, the book is now available globally in print and digital formats.
The book arrives at a pivotal moment for corporate sustainability communications. Companies face mounting pressure from regulators, investors, consumers, and employees to communicate sustainability progress accurately and transparently while navigating the twin risks of greenwashing and greenhushing. Many organizations have shifted from overclaiming to saying too little, creating reputational, legal, and stakeholder trust risks at a time when effective communication is increasingly essential to advancing sustainability and business goals.
“Companies are under enormous pressure to communicate sustainability progress responsibly, but many either overcomplicate the message or avoid communicating altogether,” said Hower. “This book is designed to help practitioners communicate sustainability in ways that are credible, strategic, and motivating.”
Sustainability Storytelling is a practical guide for sustainability, ESG, communications, marketing, and legal professionals working to translate sustainable business strategy into narratives that build trust and drive action.
Drawing on nearly two decades of experience, Hower combines perspectives from both journalism and corporate advisory work. Before founding Hower Impact, he covered sustainable business for GreenBiz, TriplePundit, and Sustainable Brands, and has since advised leading global companies on sustainability communications and reporting strategy.
At the core of the book is Hower’s “Four C’s of Effective Sustainability Storytelling”: Context, Compelling, Credible, and Compliant. The framework helps organizations move beyond vague aspirational messaging toward communications grounded in evidence, aligned with business strategy, and designed to withstand stakeholder and regulatory scrutiny.
The book also features insights from sustainability leaders at PepsiCo, Salesforce, SAP, Veolia, and Apollo Global Management, as well as environmental leaders including Denis Hayes, the first Earth Day coordinator. The foreword is written by Joel Makower, chairman and co-founder of Trellis.
“Effective sustainability communication is not about spin or about selling ideas. It’s about helping people see themselves in the story,” writes Makower in the book’s foreword. “It’s about making the abstract concrete, the distant immediate, and the complex relatable. It’s about showing not just what a company is doing, but why it matters to its various publics.”
The book’s endorsers includes sustainability thoughts leaders like Andrew Winston, bestselling author of Green to Gold and Net Positive and practitioners such as Erik Hansen, CSO of Workday, Kati Kallins, Global Head of Sustainability at Adobe, and Carol Cone, CEO at Carol Cone on PURPOSE.
“Sustainability communications isn't just storytelling—it's telling stories about something real. Real action. Real impact. Mike Hower's Four C's framework helps practitioners bridge that gap: making the message compelling, yes, but also credible, compliant, and grounded in context. If you want your sustainability story to actually land, this is an excellent place to start.” — Andrew Winston, sustainability strategist and bestselling author of Green to Gold and Net Positive
"Meaningful progress starts with internal alignment, and storytelling is the catalyst that turns sustainability strategy into a shared mission. Mike Hower expertly bridges the gap between technical data and effective messaging, providing a roadmap to craft credible narratives that secure leadership buy-in and inspire action from the boardroom to every external stakeholder." — Erik Hansen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Workday
"In an era of greenwashing scandals and green hushing silence, what is a sustainability practitioner to do? Mike Hower answers that question with precision. At the core of Sustainability Storytelling, is the proprietary 4 C's framework that transforms critical information into stories with exceptional meaning, impact and inspiration. As he states, "Storytelling gives sustainability its human pulse." This indispensable guide shows exactly how to make it beat." — Carol Cone, Founder and CEO, Carol Cone ON PURPOSE
Sustainability Storytelling: Communicate Trust, Brand Value and Better Business is available globally in print and digital formats through major booksellers. Learn more at howerimpact.com/sustainability-storytelling.
About Hower Impact
Hower Impact is a sustainability communication and reporting consultancy that helps companies translate sustainability strategy and performance into clear, credible narratives that build stakeholder trust and business value.
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